This disclosure relates to apparatus for removing bottle caps and for capturing the caps so that they don't litter a floor. This disclosure particularly is directed to a cap remover that is able to be adhered to a mounting surface by magnetic attraction and, since caps are made of a ferromagnetic material, the apparatus is also able to capture removed caps by magnetic attraction. A bottle cap seals the top opening of a bottle. A cap is typically colorfully decorated with the logo of the brand of beverage. Plastic caps are used for plastic bottles, metal with plastic backing is used for glass; the metal is usually steel. A bottle opener is a device that enables the removal of metal bottle caps from bottles. A metal bottle cap is affixed to the rim of the neck of a bottle by being pleated or ruffled around the rim. One type of bottle opener is a special lever inserted beneath the pleated metalwork, which uses a point on the bottle cap as a fulcrum on which to pivot. There are several distinct designs of such bottle openers. Wall mounted openers are typically found behind bars in pubs, whilst hand-tool bottle openers tend to be found and used in domestic environments. Whereas the functional elements of bottle openers, for instance, a tooth or lip to catch the underside of the cap, a fulcrum across which to exert the force that will remove the cap, and usually a lever for mechanical advantage tend to be consistent while sometimes the lever is the bottle itself, their aesthetic design is subject to very great variety, and a great many decorative types are available. A simple opener is fashioned from a piece of metal with a rectangular or rounded opening at one end and a solid handle large enough to be gripped between the thumb and forefingers on the other end. The opening contains a lip that is placed under the edge of the bottle top, pulling it off when upward force is applied to the handle end of the opener. This type of opener is small and durable, so it is frequently mounted on a key ring. The wall mounted opener, such as shown in the illustrations provided herewith, works the same as the lever variation, except that it is attached to a wall, to allow for simpler bottle-opening, which can be done with one hand. The bottle cap typically falls into a bottle cap catcher mounted below the opener, or often it merely falls onto the floor to be cleaned up later. The latter approach is a problem in that littering is a poor example for the young and requires clean-up by someone, usually not the beverage user. Bottle caps under foot have been known to cause falls. The presently described apparatus improves over prior art by enabling the opener to magnetically adhere to a metal surface without scratching it and without installation hardware and also enabling the opener to catch and retain the loosened bottle caps.
Like reference symbols in the drawing figures indicate like elements.